Vicky and Dennis Moore visit the railroad grade crossing where their son, Ryan, and two other teenagers were killed by a Conrail train. In response, the two started "Angels on Track," a foundation to help fund grace-crossing improvements.

Son's death brings life to "Angels on Track"
CANAL FULTON, Ohio -- When Vicky Moore's son, Ryan, and two other teenagers were killed by a Conrail train at an Ohio grade crossing in 1995, she blamed anyone associated with the railroad industry.

When she learned that five other lives had been lost at that same crossing in the 20 years preceding her son's accident -- a crossing with no warning lights or gates -- her pain turned to anger.

A jury ordered Conrail to pay Moore and her husband, Dennis, $9 million, but that did nothing to ease the daily anguish that was brought on by everyday occurrences. Such as passing the local high school that Ryan attended, or seeing his favorite foods in the grocery store.

The Moores decided to use the money, and their pent-up emotions, to fight the menace which had taken their child. They established Angels on Track, a non-profit foundation to assist local governments in paying for lights and gates at railroad grade crossings.

After paying attorneys' fees and medical bills for their son Jason, who was also in the car the day Ryan was killed, the Moores used the remaining $5.4 million to fund Angels on Track.

The money still sits in the bank today, having grown to $6 million with interest and donations. But the Moores have found that spending it on grade crossing improvements is not as easy as they had hoped.

As with many things in life, the Moores have found that there is a sea of government bureaucracy to wade through before a simple solution to a problem can be found. And for a community looking to have gates and lights installed at a grade crossing, things are no different.

In their effort to have their local crossing gated, the Moores learned it wasn't up to the community. It was up to the Federal Railroad Administration. And the Federal Highway Administration. And the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). And of course, the railroad. And the list went on and on.

Protected by interstate commerce laws and their "we-were-here-first" legal clout, railroads generally have the right of way. Communities can't even decide on their own safety devices.

In her search for assistance in establishing County Railroad Safety Task Forces to identify and prioritize dangerous crossing, Mrs. Moore came to the United Transportation Union for help.

"When my son was killed, I hated anyone that had anything to do with the railroad industry," she said. "Since then, I realized not only is my family and my son a victim, but so are employees. I believe the employees are only doing their job. The rail industry cares no more about their safety than they do about the public."

In its efforts to identify dangerous crossings, the UTU and two other railroad unions spearheaded a national campaign in 1999 to identify unsafe crossings from information supplied by their members. The UTU also supports the efforts of Operation Lifesaver, a national organization that informs the public about safety around railroad tracks.

Mrs. Moore said that, since her son was killed, she has spoken with many railroad engineers and conductors on a regular basis, and now knows where the blame lies for dangerous crossings.

"My foundation isn't out to point a finger of blame at anyone but the railroad industry. I didn't think the UTU would even talk to me. I thought they'd think we were trying to take away their jobs," Mrs. Moore said. "But when I [talked to the UTU], I felt so good. We have a mutual interest in grade crossing safety."

UTU state legislative directors or local legislative representatives interested in assisting the foundation in eliminating hazardous crossings are encouraged to contact Angels on Track.

Since Angels on Track was started, the foundation has approved reimbursement grants for grade crossing installations or improvements at five locations in three Ohio counties.

In Ohio, community task forces, with the backing of county commissioners and other elected officials, can press PUCO to order the installation of lights and gates. In such cases, the railroads usually put up 10% of the cost, with PUCO picking up about 75%, and the local community paying the remainder.

Angels on Track will award reimbursement grants to local highway authorities for railroad grade crossing upgrades representing up to 30% of the public share under state funded programs, not to exceed $40,000.

Currently, Angels on Track only operates in Ohio, but Mrs. Moore said she is now the chairperson of the National Railroad Safety Coalition Foundation, an effort to obtain funding for grade crossing improvements in other states.

Mrs. Moore said a requirement for grant funding is the establishment of an active County Railroad Safety Task Force to identify and prioritize dangerous crossings and to ensure utilization of funding from all available sources.

For more information, or to contribute to Angels on Track, write to: The Angels on Track Foundation, 12376 Chestnut St. NW, Canal Fulton, OH 44614, or visit the website at <http://www.info@angelsontrack.org>.

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